Shaolin Death Squad's music as described by themselves:
"When a Manchu conspiracy to overthrow the Ming dynasty is thwarted by a group of Shaolin disciples and patriots, a fierce battle to defend the life of the King ensues, with deadly results."
Discography:
Shaolin Death Squad - EP, 2004
Intelligent Design - Full-length, 2006
Five Deadly Venoms - Full-length, 2010
Current lineup:
The White Swan (Androo O'Hearn) - Vocals, Keyboards (ex-Batcastle, ex-Dr. Brainwarp)
Black Ninja (Matt Thompson) - Drums (King Diamond, ex-Batcastle, ex-Autumn Silence, ex-Michael Harris, ex-Judgement (US), Surgeon (US))
Red Dragon (David O'Hearn) - Guitar, Vocals (ex-Batcastle)
Blue Scorpion (Kenny Lovern) - Guitar, Vocals
White Dragon (Gary Thorne) - Bass
Former members:
Matt Talbert - Guitar
Brian Lewis - Guitar (Batcastle, ex-Dr. Brainwarp, ex-The Xenos)
Official Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShaolinDeathSquad
Official website: http://www.shaolindeathsquad.com/
Official MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/shaolindeathsquad
The First Half of Yesterday
Shaolin Death Squad Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
…when it seemed that hours past felt like weeks.
Shake and quiver due to weakness in the knees.
You seemed to disappear…
…vanish in thin air or perhaps
under thick dirt at the bottom of a grave.
Facing the faithless, hoping that they would change.
The broken glass on the ground makes amends with the scars on the bottom of your feet,
as they open their doors to reintroduce the germs to the underside of your skin again.
Facing the faithless, hoping that they would change.
Faith in the faceless…what is real and what is a dream?
What went wrong?
You went away the first half of yesterday.
The second half of tommorow…less or more to look forward to.
Blindness.
But you may not ever forget the first half of yesterday.
Facing the faithless.
Faith in the faceless…what is real and what is a dream?
Tonight the grave’s inside the fallen.
What went wrong?
You went away the first half of yesterday.
The birds have all flown away.
The song "The First Half Of Yesterday" by Shaolin Death Squad is a poignant exploration of the feeling of loss and the search for meaning and faith in the face of despair. The opening lines "Remembering back when… when it seemed that hours past felt like weeks / Shake and quiver due to weakness in the knees" suggest a feeling of intense anxiety and dread, as though time is dragging on painfully slowly and the world is shaking beneath the singer's feet. The imagery of disappearing and vanishing suggests a feeling of abandonment, as though something or someone essential has been taken away.
The chorus repeats the lines "Facing the faithless, hoping that they would change / Faith in the faceless… what is real and what is a dream?" This suggests a desperate search for meaning and hope in a world that feels empty, faithless, and unreal. The broken glass and scars on the feet may suggest a history of pain and suffering, or a sense of being constantly battered and wounded by the world around us. The final lines "Tonight the grave’s inside the fallen / What went wrong? You went away the first half of yesterday / The birds have all flown away" suggest a final reckoning, a sense that something or someone has been lost forever, and that we are left behind to mourn and try to find a way forward without them.
Overall, "The First Half Of Yesterday" is a powerful and emotive song that explores themes of loss, faith, and the search for meaning in a world that can often feel overwhelming and meaningless.
Line by Line Meaning
Remembering back when…
Recalling a time in the past
…when it seemed that hours past felt like weeks.
A period of time that felt longer than expected
Shake and quiver due to weakness in the knees.
Physical manifestation of fear
You seemed to disappear…
An unexplained disappearance
…vanish in thin air or perhaps under thick dirt at the bottom of a grave.
Disappearing mysteriously or through death
Facing the faithless, hoping that they would change.
Dealing with untrustworthy people and hoping for improvement
Faith in the faceless…what is real and what is a dream?
Belief in something or someone without a clear identity or understanding
The broken glass on the ground makes amends with the scars on the bottom of your feet,
Acknowledging painful experiences
as they open their doors to reintroduce the germs to the underside of your skin again.
Returning to an unhealthy or dangerous situation
What went wrong?
Questioning what led to a negative outcome
You went away the first half of yesterday.
Losing someone or something important in the recent past
The second half of tommorow…less or more to look forward to.
Uncertainty about the future
Blindness.
A lack of understanding or insight
But you may not ever forget the first half of yesterday.
A significant event or loss that will be remembered
Tonight the grave’s inside the fallen.
Death or loss has occurred
The birds have all flown away.
An absence of hope or positivity
Contributed by Cooper A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.